WAIROA WANTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1981, 11 February 1914, Page 5

WAIROA WANTS.

Sir;—On indulging in my usual read of your valuable paper I caught a glance of a glaring Exhibition advertisement: "Splendid opportunity for all. Cheap excursions trains ' everywhere," etc., etc. I asked .myself where does the said opportunity came in for poor Wairoa? It makes one exasperated to hear of a train, to say nettling of exhibitions. It will soon be thrco years since. I saw such a luxury. Wo have, I believe, at least a thousand people hero in the .town, and I don't suppose more than a dozen have heard a train whistle for some years. Before wo could board.a train of any sort we must travel seventy-five miles by coach, which, including accommodation, means just about .£5 return. .To add further to our misery, this,trip of seventyfivo miles entails a day and a half each way. Why it should bo so is thought to bo a "mystery. If Mr. Massey would only come to Wairoa and tutu the first sod, as a guarantee this railway should proceed at each end as well as the centre, we might have some faith in the "fair deal" phrase. I was merely going to suggest, Sir,, that as we cannot possibly afford the luxury of trains to Exhibitions, wjo are at least entitled to hear that celebrated English band. I consider it is the duty of the Government to sefr that the baud pays at least.a flying visit to Wairoa, particularly as I notice it is proposed that they intend 'playing at Napier. Why not include Wairoa and Gisbonie, instead of that proposed second visit to Auckland? I believe, Sir, the amount of receipts from such a visit would, cause a pleasant surprise to the promoters. —I am. etc., FAIR DEAL. Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, February 6,